


One Last Drink

by toesohnoes



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-24
Updated: 2012-02-24
Packaged: 2017-10-31 15:51:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/345863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toesohnoes/pseuds/toesohnoes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve goes missing. Fury tracks him down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Last Drink

**Author's Note:**

> Written at my [Tumblr](http://toestastegood-fic.tumblr.com/post/18081885473/it-takes-a-damn-long-time-to-track-steve-down-too).

It takes a damn long time to track Steve down, too long.

As Fury walks into the bar, he makes a mental note to stick a GPS chip under Steve’s skin once he gets him back to base. He doesn’t want him slipping away from them, not again. There’s too much to lose.

Sitting by the bar, Steve has a beer in front of him. The military sheen has disappeared from his face, replaced by stubble and regret, but it’s still easy to spot that he doesn’t belong in a place like this. Maybe someone like Steve doesn’t belong anywhere, not really.

He looks at him over his shoulder, but his expression to see him isn’t one of relief, or even one of anger. It’s just regret and pain - Fury doesn’t think he’s seen anyone look quite so hurt in a long time.

It almost makes him want to back out of the door.

He’s faced down a lot worse than one emotionally wounded soldier, he tells himself. It’s enough to make him walk forward and take a seat beside Steve. “I thought you couldn’t get drunk,” he says, even as he orders another of whatever it is that Steve’s drinking.

“I can’t come back,” Steve says. He looks down at his drink and Fury gives him a moment, gives him as long as he needs to gather his wits. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“Nobody does.” Now isn’t the time for generic platitudes. He gets that. “What happened wasn’t your fault. A lot more people would have been dead if you weren’t there.”

Steve doesn’t answer him. He stares ahead without staring at anything at all; behind his eyes, Fury imagines there are images of the victims haunting Steve’s thoughts right now. There’s no cure for that.

“I need someone to lead this team. You’re the only one I know with a shot in hell at getting them to listen to you.” Trying to get Stark to follow Fury’s orders is like shouting into a hurricane. Steve has a slightly better success rate. “You can’t beat yourself up when you make mistakes. Leave that for the bad guys.”

There’s a big part of him that wishes that Steve didn’t have to hurt at all, emotionally, mentally or physically. He’s too good for that - and Fury has been in this business too long for any idealism, but that doesn’t change the facts. Steve is a stand-up guy, and Fury is the one in the background that sends him and his friends into danger.

If there’s anyone that should be drowning his sorrows here, it’s Fury.

He takes the bottle from the bartender when it arrives and drinks without a glass. “We need you there. Don’t make me beg. It won’t be pretty.”

Steve doesn’t say yes, not yet, but Fury thinks he’s got him hooked. With a little more persuasion, he can bring him around.

And, hell, after the kind of day he’s had he needs a stiff drink and good company. A bar is exactly where he wants to be right now. Whether Steve likes it or not, he has no intention of moving.


End file.
